Spring-wheel.



A. W. DRUMMOND & A. D. DAVENPORT.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION nun SEPT. 13, 1 911.

1,034,220. Patented July 30, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR WEED DRUMMOND AND AUSTIN DWIGHT DAVENPORT, OF GUSTINE,CALIFORNIA.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

Application filed September 13, 1911. Serial No. 649,094.

To all whom. it may concern:

lie it known that we, ARTHUR \V. DRUM- .uoxo and Ars'rix l). Davsxrotrr,citizens of the United States, and residents of Gustine, in the countyof Merced and State of California. have invented a new and ImprovedHpringwheel, of which the following is a full. clear. and exactdescription.

()ur invention is an improvement in wheels, so constructed that the rimis resiliently mounted with respect to the spokes and the hub, theobject beiln to eliminate the jarring and jolting of the vehicle onwhich the wheel is nunmted, when the same is in motion.

To this end our invention comprises a hub having a plurality of tubularspokes in which spring-actuated phmgers are mounted, the plungers beinpivotally connected at. their outer ends one 1 to a leaf springconnected at one end to the rim of the wheel and at the other end to thebody of a spoke adjacent the spoke in which each plunger is mounted.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification,in which the same characters of reference indicatethe same parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a wheel of ourimproved construction; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22of Fig. 1.

On the drawings our improved wheel is shown as comprising a flanged rim1, and a hub 2, the flanged rim 1 having secured thereto a resilienttire 3 of any preferred construction.

The nmnerals 1 indicate a plurality of tubular spokes havin threadedbosses 4 on their inner ends, whic 1 are screwed into suitable threadedsockets in the body of the hub to hold the tubular spokes in place. Theouter end of each of these spokes is provided with an integral bead orflan e 5, to strengthen the same and prevent t e spokes from bursting orsplitting; and each of the tubular spokes carries inside the same asliding plan or 6 having a stem 7 which fits within a ore 8 formed atthe inner end of the spokes 4. The plungers 6 are held in extendedposition by means of a spring 9, which engages with the rear face of theplunger 6 at one end and seats against the inner end of the tubularspokes at the other.

10 are a plurality of leaf springs substantially S-shaped and havingpairs of lugs 11, 12 and 13. The lugs 11 form a yoke at one end of eachspring, and the lugs 13 form a yoke at the other end; while the lugs 12are arranged in an intermediate position, and are pivotally connected tothe plunger-s (3 by means of pins )assing through apertures therein. Theyo kes 11 and 13 are likewise. perforated to receive pivot )insconnecting the lugs 11 to an annular ri 14 formed on the inside of therim 1, and to connect the lugs 13 to a collar 15 having a projectionreceived between the lugs 13, carried by each of the spokes 4.

From the above description it will be apparent that the weight of thepart of the vehicle supported by the wheel will be distributed over the5 )rings 10 arran ed adjacent that portion of the wheel whidh is closeto the ground. The springs 9 in the tubular spokes 4 cooperate with thesprings 10, to keep the hub and the radiatin spokes connected theretocentrally locate with respect to the rim 1, and it will be apparent thatthe rim of the wheel can be moved in any direction to a certain extentwith respect to the hub 2 alon a line passing through the center of theimb. Owing to the elasticity of the sprin s 10 and 9, the jarring andjolting of the ve icle, due to the same strikin" obstructions in theroadbed when the vehicle is in motion, are deadened before they reachthe vehicle body, and as a result the body of the vehicle runs smoothly,without inconvenience or discomfort to the occupants. It. is to befurther observed that, taking an one of the springs 10 in the lower halfof the wheel shown in Fig. 1, the upward movement of the rim will notonly bend the spring 10, but also tend to cause it to revolve around thepivot pin passing through the lugs 12, as an axis. Each spring 10 in thelower part of the wheel thus tends to exert a levera e action on thetubular spoke 4 to the left, he direction of this action bein outward.In this way the inner end of each spring, that is to say, the end onwhich the lugs 13 are formed, assists the s oke 4 to which it. isattached by means 0 the lugs 13, to resist the inward thrust which isexerted against the spoke by the action of the rim on the spring whichis attached to the end of this spoke by means of the lugs 12. Inconsequence, we are enabled by means of this construction to obtain avery strong and eilieient wheel, and at the same time make the partscomparatively lighter than would be otherwise required.

We wish to reserve to ourselves the right to make certain changes in thesize and arrangement of the parts such as fairly fall within the scopeand spirit of our invention.

I'Iaving thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. In a resilient wheel, the combination of a hub, a plurality ofradiating spokes carried by the hub. and leaf springs arranged betweenthe rim and the hub, the end of each of said spokes being connected toone of the said springs between the extremities of the same, and one endof each of said springs being connected to the rim and the other endbeing connected to another spoke at a point spaced from the outer end ofthe same.

9. In a resilient wheel, the combination of Copies of this patent may beobtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents.Washington, D. C."

a rim having an internal annular rib, a hub carrying a plurality oftubular radiating s okes, each of said spokes having a collar tiiereonwith a projecting lug, a plurality of leaf springs, each having pairs oflugs at its opposite ends, the lu s at one end being pivotally connectedto the annular rib, and the la s on the other to the projection on thesaid collar, and a plurality of spring-actuated plungers carried by saidtubular spokes, said spring-actuated plun ers being each pivotallyconnected to one or said leaf springs intermediate the ends thereof.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR WEED DRUIUIOND. AUSTIN DWlGll'l' DAVENPORT.

Witnesses SAMUEL H. GREENE, CLARENCE W. PURRINGTON.

